Ontario Knife Company "Spec-Plus Knives"

For specifications, go to: Ontario Knife Company

Spec-Plus Marine Raider Bowie

An excellent knife, with a serious heft to it. Comes out of the box very sharp, but could use some work on a quality stone. The point is a bit off the axis of thrust. The point is also "needle" thin, making it unsuitable for throwing into hard objects such as wood if the user is unskilled. The grind lines are clean and well defined. The Cordura sheath has smooth leather on the side where it would rub against one's clothing, which is as very good feature. The false edge comes unsharpened, to leave it up to the owner to decide what to do with it. I LOVE this knife!

Spec-Plus Sp-5 Survival Bowie

A flat ground knife, with an upswept point making it less useful for thrusting than some. Very handy for those who prefer the "edge-up" style of Bowie knife fighting. Light weight and easy to carry for long periods of time. The false edge is NOT "false", but a nicely sharpened one! A personal favorite of mine!

Spec-Plus Sp2502 Kukri

I was very disappointed with the rendering of this version of the legendary Kukri used in Nepal and India. At $49.95 + shipping and handling, it could have been much better executed. The spine is very uneven and varies in thickness. The flat of the blade has pronounced warps, which will cause the edge to wobble off the axis of cut. The grind lines are crude and very uneven. I bought this knife as a camp tool because of its versatility. The design has great potential, being made from quality steel and well hardened. This Kukri is lightweight and therefore very fast. The Cordura sheath needs improvement, as this large knife needs a suspender instead of a simple belt loop. Without an ambidextrous suspender this would give left handed-users some serious problems. There is a leather welt along where the edge rests, which can cause potential corrosive problems from the tanning acids. The hilt does not fit properly in the sheath, but protrudes at a 32-degree angle. The edge on my Kukri was sharpened more on one side than another. This causes the bevel to be more prone to "peening" on a serious cut. Oddly enough, this knife only says "Kukri" and "made in U.S.A." at the hilt, whereas all the other Spec-Plus knives I have seen are stamped "Ontario USA" on one side, and then the model name and number on the other.

Overall, I recommend the Spec-Plus Line to anyone needing a quality knife at a bargain price. The plastic Kraton handles offer some degree of insulation from freezing temperatures or high voltage should one need to sever a live wire. When thrown, the hilt provides a good shock absorbing quality for a "butt-first" landing. The blades are black epoxy coated, 1095-carbon steel.